PACE adopts resolution calling for sanctions against Russian propagandists

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution dedicated to propaganda and freedom of information in Europe, calling for sanctions against Russian propagandists and recognising the Russian Orthodox Church as an instrument of influence.

According to Oleksii Honcharenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the PACE, 117 delegates voted for the resolution, 14 were against, and 5 abstained. Out of the 14 parliamentarians who voted against, 5 are Italians.

The resolution, the text of which is posted on the PACE website, states that the Parliamentary Assembly is concerned about the widespread dissemination of propaganda aimed at the formation of a biassed public opinion, threatening the proper functioning of democratic systems, and jeopardising shared values and human dignity.

"This harmful propaganda includes both illegal propaganda and propaganda that, while not prohibited, can harm the development of free thought and informed citizen participation in public debates and decision-making through unethical communication methods, including disinformation and psychological manipulation tools," the resolution states. 

At the same time, PACE emphasised that the fight against harmful propaganda should not become a pretext for censorship.

"The Assembly recognises that for authoritarian regimes, such as the Russian Federation, propaganda is an integral part of their war against democracy. The Russian state television channel RT (formerly known as Russia Today) and its global network, as well as so-called rage farms, are part of a broader strategy to destabilise European democracies and influence political processes.

The Assembly also reiterates its call to recognise that the Russian Orthodox Church is used as an instrument of Russian influence and propaganda by the Kremlin regime," the text of the amendment, authored by members of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE, states.

The Assembly also called for "targeted sanctions against Russian media, such as RT and its affiliates, as their activities violate journalistic ethics and should be regarded as a threat to the national security of member states." 

The US Department of the Treasury announced blocking sanctions against the Rossiya Segodnya (Russia Today) media group and its CEO Dmitry Kiselyov on Friday, 13 September.

Information about the new sanctions emerged after Washington publicly accused RT of working for Russian intelligence and raising funds to finance the Russian army in Ukraine.

At the same time, the US, the UK, and Canada announced a diplomatic campaign to expose the interference of Russian propagandists in democratic processes around the world.

Previously, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on RT's management and related companies due to attempts to interfere in the American presidential elections.